Can you believe we’re almost at the end of the launch party? Tomorrow I’ll announce the winners of the giveaway. Two people who’ve commented on launch party posts will win a copy of The Solitary Rose. You never know— it could be you!

Today we’re going to talk about tropes. If you are active in the romance reading community (or, for that matter, with fanfiction), you’re probably familiar with many of the common romance tropes. If not, take a look at some of the most popular romance novel tropes. If you want more in-depth analysis of romance novel tropes, Tv Tropes has you covered!

So, what tropes does The Solitary Rose have? The story began as a gender-flipped “Beauty and the Beast” retelling, and it retains some aspects of that story. Female lead Emma Ainsworth has smallpox scars on her face, and a somewhat prickly personality. Related to that, the novel has a touch of the “arranged marriage” trope, because Emma’s Uncle Elwood originally plans a match between Emma and Henry There’s also both “fake engagement” and “forced proximity,” as the situation confines Henry to Emma’s estate much longer than either of them initially wanted.

When romancelandia folks talk tropes, people often ask “What are your favorite romance tropes?” or “What tropes do you hate?” I’m going to ask a slightly different question: What tropes do you wish you saw more of? Are there underused tropes that you just can’t get enough of? (Microtropes count, too!) If so, tell us in the comments!

Today’s event is going to require some reader participation, so get ready to respond in the comments or on Twitter!

Today, I’m going to post short snippets from The Solitary Rose—just a line or two—based on reader prompts. Post a word in the comments or reply on Twitter, and I’ll respond with a snippet.

If you’re familiar with snippet-sharing events like #FridayKiss, you probably know how this works. If not, here’s an example: this week’s FridayKiss word is “create.” Though I don’t use that word anywhere in the novel, I do use the word creativity, as in this passage from Chapter 12, page 132:

So, readers, now it’s your turn! Post a word in the comments, and I’ll respond with a related snippet from The Solitary Rose. Have fun!

When Emma Ainsworth first appears in The Solitary Rose, she is caring for a litter of orphaned kittens. These kittens were barn cats who would grow up to hunt mice, but people also kept cats as pets in the Regency period. Mimi Matthews has an excellent page about Georgian and Regency cats, including examples of cats in eighteenth-century artwork.

For today’s launch party game, we’re going to think of names for Emma’s five kittens! This is how the book describes them:

She had to move a bale of hay aside, and there they were, five kittens, a mixture of orange, calico, and black. They wobbled about and mewed. Emma could not resist scooping one of them up and snuggling it. It wriggled in her grasp before it began to purr. At this age, domesticating the kittens should be easy. (Chapter 2, page 13)

What would you name these kittens if they were yours? Suggest some names in the comments! Here’s a list of famous cats in literature that might help. And let’s not forget Samuel Johnson’s Hodge, one of the most famous cats of the eighteenth century!